Delegates at a U.N. wildlife conference in Geneva voted Sunday to ban the practice of taking baby elephants from their natural habitat and placing them in zoos and circuses.Forty-six countries at the UN Convention ion International Trade in Endangered Species voted to outlaw the practice, white 18 voted against it, …

Mourners in Iceland gathered Sunday to bid a final farewell to 700-year-old Okjokull, the first Icelandic glacier lost to climate change.After about 100 people, including Iceland’s Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir, Environment Minister Gudmundur Ingi Gudbrandsson, and former Irish President Mary Robinson, made a two-hour hike up the Ok volcano for …

For many, blindness or poor vision can keep them from activities like cycling. But a NYC non-profit called InTandem works to make cycling accessible to everyone. The organization unites sighted New Yorkers with the visually impaired so that everyone can enjoy a ride. Anna Nelson has the story narrated by …

Tackling the illegal trade in endangered wild fauna and flora and strengthening trade rules for fisheries, timber, and exotic pets are just a few of the many controversial and emotional issues to be discussed over the next two weeks at a World Wildlife Conference opening in Geneva Saturday.  Thousands of delegates …

Tracking eye movement can reveal when a person recognizes another, even when they try to hide it, according to new research.Attempts to conceal recognition made it easier to spot in the new study, which could be used in criminal investigations to gain information from uncooperative witnesses or suspects.Lie-detector tests are …

Congolese officials have confirmed the death of one of at least two new Ebola patients in South Kivu province.  The outbreak in Congo has killed more than 1,800 people but this is the first time in the year-long epidemic Ebola has spread to South Kivu.  The new cases were reported …

Spaceport America is no longer just a shiny shell of hope that space tourism would one day launch from this remote spot in the New Mexico desert.The once-empty hangar that anchors the taxpayer-financed launch and landing facility has been transformed into a custom-tailored headquarters where Virgin Galactic will run its …

The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday reversed its preliminary decision allowing continued use of deadly sodium cyanide traps, blamed for injuring people and pets as well as their intended targets of coyotes and other predators.EPA head Andrew Wheeler said in a statement he had decided the agency needed to do …

The U.N. children’s fund reports the number of children orphaned by Ebola or separated from their parents because of the disease in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has more than doubled since April.Since the epidemic was declared more than one year ago, aid agencies have registered 1,380 children who have …

Meteorologists say July was the hottest month measured on Earth since records began in 1880.The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Thursday that July was 0.95 degrees Celsius (1.71 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than the 20th century average for the month.The results had been expected after several European countries reported …

U.S. regulators Wednesday approved a new tuberculosis drug that when taken with two other medicines shows dramatic results.The new drug, Pretomanid, was developed by the nonprofit TB Alliance.A study shows that when taken with taken with two other drugs. Pretomanid cured 90% of patients suffering from a strain of TB that …

A vaping industry group sued the U.S. government on Wednesday to delay an upcoming review of thousands of e-cigarettes on the market.The legal challenge by the Vapor Technology Association is the latest hurdle in the Food and Drug Administration’s yearslong effort to regulate the multibillion-dollar vaping industry, which includes makers …

Russian scientists are raising the alarm about new Soviet-style restrictions on interactions with foreign colleagues.The science newspaper Troitsky Variant on Tuesday published a copy of a recent Russian Education Ministry decree that introduces a broad range of restrictions on meetings and communication between employees of state-owned think tanks and institutes …

At least 10 state attorneys general say they will join conservation groups in suing the Trump administration from making drastic changes to the U.S. Endangered Species Act.U.S. officials have announced a revision of the nearly 50-year-old set of laws that environmentalists credit with saving numerous animals, plants and other species …

The death of a six-year-old YouTube star from a malaria epidemic in Burundi has spotlighted the growing challenge of combating malaria in a warmer world, health experts said on Tuesday.Darcy Irakoze – known as Kacaman – who was popular for his comedy performances on YouTube and in local theaters, died …

University of Hawaii students protesting the construction of a $1.4 billion telescope are expected to have class options allowing them to remain on the mountain, a report said.The plan to start construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope on the Big Island has been thwarted for more than three weeks by …

If all goes as planned, Thai citizens suffering from cancer and a handful of other diseases and disorders could start taking the country’s first legal doses of medical cannabis within days.The Government Pharmaceutical Organization delivered its premier batch of cannabis oil to the Ministry of Public Health last week, eight …

Rarely has a candidate gone far in a US presidential race highlighting a singular issue, but Democrat Jay Inslee is aiming to buck that trend with his commitment to tackling climate change.Unless he does something to dramatically change his trajectory — he has less than one percent support in polls …

Australia on Tuesday announced a Aus$500 million ($340 million) climate change package for Pacific island countries, which have been increasingly vocal in demanding their powerful neighbor curb its carbon emissions.Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the funding, drawn from Australia’s existing international aid budget, would help Pacific island nations invest in …

The Trump administration took steps Monday to significantly weaken the U.S. Endangered Species Act, prompting state attorneys general and conservation groups to threaten legal action to protect at-risk species.The 1970s-era act is credited with bringing back from the brink of extinction species such as bald eagles, gray whales and grizzly …

Two of four experimental Ebola drugs being tested in Congo seem to be saving lives, international health authorities announced Monday.The preliminary findings prompted an early halt to a major study on the drugs and a decision to prioritize their use in the African country, where a yearlong outbreak has killed …

No one knows yet what causes eczema, the collective name for a group of skin conditions that result in  itchy, red patches on the skin. Eczema can appear on any part of the body, and it can be a lifelong affliction. Most often, it affects children, but adults can get …

More than 1,800 people have died in the deadly Ebola outbreak declared last August in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s eastern region. Now, local faith leaders in the central African country are taking the fight against the virus into churches and other religious institutions. VOA’s Austere Malivika reports from Goma. …

The best meteor shower of the year is upon us. Across the Northern Hemisphere, sky watchers will be treated to a stunning array of meteors streaking overhead from late Sunday into early Monday, as well as Monday night into early Tuesday.The Perseids occur when Earth enters the debris field left behind …

HONOLULU — Hawaii experts say two native bird populations have declined by more than half and could face extinction if nothing is done to save them, a report said.    The Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project said 312 Maui parrotbills and 2,411 crested honeycreepers remain in the wild, Hawaii News …